Check It Out:

Cat lovers are vocal! Last Sunday’s column highlighted new dog books; this week, cats are featured. That’s not to say that cats are in second place or conversely, that the best is saved for last. The library is non-partisan. So for all the people who love, adore, praise and can’t imagine life without their feline companions, here are the library’s latest books on cats.

“The Complete Guide to Understanding and Caring for Your Cat” by Carole C. Wilbourn: This is the newest, revised edition of the classic “Cats on the Couch,” issued by New York’s Humane Society. Learn the best practices and new thinking about everything catlike.

“We Are the Cat: Life Through the Eyes of the Royal Feline” by Terry Bain: Cats are inscrutable, enigmatic and individualistic. What makes them so? This title tries to define and give answers for the idiosyncratic behaviors that cat-lovers ponder when they contemplate their playful, aloof housemates. Discover what your domestic cat is thinking!

“Planet-Cat: A Cat-Alog” by Sandra Choron: This title is a must-read for every cat person. Not only does it have information on breeds, behavior and yes, training (!), but you can also learn about famous cats throughout history, cat food recipes and fabulous gifts for your favorite cat.

“Tiger in the House: A Cultural History of the Cat” by Carl Van Vechten: How are cats in China different from tabbies? Do Siamese cats still guard their temples in Indonesia? Find the untamed jungle cat in a worldwide domestic setting and discover how cats are viewed in other places.

“Your Cat: Simple New Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life” by Elizabeth M. Hodgkins: Rearing a kitten? Are you motivated to making your geriatric cat’s life more comfortable? Concerned about the additives in commercial cat food?

This guide has straight-forward advice to everyday questions about caring for your cat from birth to old age.

“The Cat Behavior Answer Book: Practical Insights and Proven Solutions for Your Feline Questions” by Arden Moore: If you think your cat is behaving oddly, maybe you’re missing the kitty cat’s signals. Communication with your cat can be enhanced, if not perfected.

“What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love, and Marriage: Lessons for People from Animals and Their Trainers” by Amy Sutherland: Think training your cat is hard? How about a chapter on working with BIG cats? Tigers, for instance? Or training whales, like Shamu?

This fascinating title presents insights into the principles of exotic animal training behaviors which have relevance for humans, too.

CHECK IT OUT is written by Newport Beach Public Library reference librarian Mary Ellen Bowman. Use your Newport Beach Public Library card to reserve these titles at www.newportbeachlibrary.org or call (949) 717-3800 and press 2.